On January 24, 1996, at the Writers Guild Theater in Los Angeles, CA, legendary comic Sid Caesar was reunited with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour. The event was taped for release on PBS and BBC in a 1-hour cut, and later on VHS and DVD in its full 2-hour length. Be prepared to laugh non-stop as the panel, made up of head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin share stories about their time working on Caesar's shows and offer their insights about writing comedy.
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6.0In this special live event, giants of stand-up come together to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Russell Simmons's groundbreaking "Def Comedy Jam."
6.7A look at the work of two stand-up comics, Jerry Seinfeld and a lesser-known newcomer, detailing the effort and frustration behind putting together a successful act and career while living a life on the road.
6.5Comedian Kevin Hart performs in front of a crowd of 50,000 people at Philadelphia's outdoor venue, Lincoln Financial Field.
6.9Time to hassle the Hoff at the rudest, raunchiest television event of the year--The Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff. From running in slo-mo on the beach to inspiring Germany with the power of cheesy pop--it's almost too easy.
7.1Explore the unlikely partnership and enduring legacy of one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment history. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz risked everything to be together.
6.6Comedy Central's best roasters and stand up comedians take a whack at actor/model Pamela Anderson.
7.0Fresh off the heels of appearing in movies like Superhero Movie and The 40 Year-Old Virgin, fast-talking comedian Kevin Hart stars in his second live stand-up performance in Cleveland, Ohio, where he makes fun of everything and everybody - especially himself.
6.0Documentary about the making of American Pie (1999), American Pie 2 (2001) and American Wedding (2003).
6.6Kevin, Joe and Nick face down quick wits and deep cuts in this comedy special featuring Pete Davidson, John Legend and more. Hosted by Kenan Thompson.
6.3A rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols "documentary", told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that the Sex Pistols in particular and punk rock in general were an elaborate scam perpetrated by him in order to make "a million pounds."
7.5Mock documentary about Seinfeld writer Larry David featuring contributions from his friends and colleagues. Larry makes a return to stand-up comedy and prepares to film a television special for HBO. This is the original special that gave birth to the long-running award-winning HBO series.
6.7Kevin Hart serves up laughs and brick oven pizza from the comfort of his home, and dishes on male group chats, sex after 40 and life with COVID-19.
8.1Dave Chappelle returns for a stand-up to D.C. and riffs on politics, police, race relations, drugs, Sesame Street and more.
6.4The house is rockin' and the laughs are rollin' as comedians Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show), D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys), Cedric The Entertainer (The Steve Harvey Show) and Bernie Mac (Life) meet in this riotously comedy summit directed by Spike Lee.
6.8JB Smoove and Martin Starr host a celebration of 20 years of "Spider-Man" movies, from the Sam Raimi trilogy to Marc Webb's movies and the trio from Jon Watts.
7.0John Mulaney and his kid pals tackle existential topics for all ages with catchy songs, comedy sketches and special guests in a nostalgic variety special.
6.6An exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, GOOD HAIR visits beauty salons and hairstyling battles, scientific laboratories and Indian temples to explore the way hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of the black community.
7.0An inspiring, triumphant and wickedly funny portrait of one of comedy’s most enigmatic and important figures, CALL ME LUCKY tells the story of Barry Crimmins, a beer-swilling, politically outspoken and whip-smart comic whose efforts in the 70s and 80s fostered the talents of the next generation of standup comedians. But beneath Crimmins’ gruff, hard-drinking, curmudgeonly persona lay an undercurrent of rage stemming from his long-suppressed and horrific abuse as a child – a rage that eventually found its way out of the comedy clubs and television shows and into the political arena.
6.0The comedic stylings of four sort-of famous funnymen are brought to the big screen courtesy of this 2002 documentary.
7.4What does it mean to be a successful comedian? How far can the boundaries of taste be pushed to get a laugh? Four top comics, Ricky Gervais, Louis C.K., Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock, discuss and debate their craft.
6.0Stars celebrate Bob Hope's 50 years with NBC.
0.0A student's increasingly intimate line of questioning causes his interview with a local horror host to take a vulnerable turn.
6.7Recently widowed well-to-do Laura Henderson purchases the Windmill Theatre in London as a post-widowhood hobby. After starting an innovative continuous variety review, which is copied by other theaters, they begin to lose money. Mrs Henderson suggests they add risqué burlesque acts similar to the Moulin Rouge in Paris.
7.0The Divine Miss M is featured in a concert filmed at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, at the culmination of her most recent cross-country tour which was known as "De Tour". This live recording was a combination of footage from both September 10 and 11, 1983. Set against a Renaissance art background and outfitted in a rainbow array of costumes, Midler sings and performs her uninhibited stage antics.
5.9An all-star revue featuring MGM contract players.
5.4Skinny Legend features the classic Trixie variety show stylings her fans love from her performances. Don’t be fooled by her Disney on Acid aesthetic – these jokes are not for the faint of heart.
0.0A dive into an incredible moment in comedy, culture, and politics when Tom and Dick Smothers challenged CBS censors, Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon, and ultimately each other. The duo did so via their comedy variety show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which in its two-year run on CBS, made a major impact with its political satire. The Smothers Brothers used the program as a platform to critique the Vietnam War and tackle other hot topics, coming into conflict with censors, who demanded cuts or last-minute edits to jokes, and fighting management to keep their material intact.
0.0A variety-style show designed around Frankie Howerd, featuring musical guests, comedic monologues, and his characteristic interaction with the audience, promising a "star-studded" feel despite his ironic complaints about the lineup.
Various CBS stars appear in this one hour variety program about the opening of the brand new $7 million dollar CBS Television City Studios.
5.5Foreign investors converge on a luxury hotel in China to bid on a new kind of radioscope. But, this is a hotel where Burns and Allen are the in-house medical staff, a measles risk sends the whole building into quarantine, and a madcap millionaire crashes dinner in his autogyro. Hotel and radioscope become a stage for an all-star cast of comedians and musicians, from vaudeville to the new generation.
8.0At the height of his KOJAK TV series fame, Telly Savalas starred in this variety special that was sponsored by Kraft Foods and shown without commercial interruption. Barbara Eden, Cloris Leachman, Diahann Carroll and others appear and join in the singing and dancing and mugging.
4.5A countdown of the top 40 "Blackadder" moments chosen by cast and crew members, celebrity fans and 15 genuine Blackadders.
6.5A retrospective of the work of the late actor Warren Oates, with clips from his films and interviews with cast and crew members who worked with him.
6.2Using testimonies by pioneers and witnesses of the times, delve into the feverish visual culture the media generated – with far-fetched examples of canine television games, seduction manuals, aerobics class while holding a baby, among others.
7.1A documentary on the Z Channel, one of the first pay cable stations in the US, and its programming chief, Jerry Harvey. Debuting in 1974, the LA-based channel's eclectic slate of movies became a prime example of the untapped power of cable television.
6.6A journey behind the scenes of the Nickelodeon television network to chronicle its unprecedented success, from its humble origins as a small local channel to its status as an international phenomenon that helped shape an entire generation of children.
8.0In 1972, the Arizona State Park bought the London Bridge. Tom Jones (as himself) is magically transported to the bridge's new location where he, befuddled, sings with other celebrities, has adventures and gets kidnapped by “the villain”.
7.8Diva Las Vegas was a show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas starring Bette Midler performing as singer and comedian. The one-time performance was filmed for television; HBO released it as a TV special originally broadcast on January 18, 1997 and repeated on February 2, 1997. Midler won the 1997 Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for the special. Among the songs performed were The Rose, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, From A Distance, Friends, Wind Beneath My Wings, Stay With Me and Do You Want To Dance?. Bette's daughter Sophie von Haselberg appeared for a short time during the song "Ukulele Lady". She sat with the rest of the cast and musicians on stage playing a ukulele and singing the words.
0.0An extended dream sequence presents a biblical allegory about the creation, downfall and rebirth of humanity, told through a series of surrealistic vignettes and musical numbers.